HungerThirst | Kristi's Morning Devotional

April 19, 2024April 19, 2024

Are You Hungry?

Last night we were invited to a neighbor’s for dinner. She is an excellent cook, and I ate more than I normally do but you know what? This morning, I will be hungry again. That’s how it is with these physical bodies – we need nourishment daily.

That’s also how it is with our spiritual bodies. We need to eat regularly, or we become weak, diseased and malnourished.

“The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.” Isaiah 58:11 NKJV

There are so many references throughout the Bible of food and how God provides.

When the children of Israel were in the desert after leaving Egypt the Lord provided manna for them, and He gave them water from a rock. This was a sign of God’s power and also of His love.

Jesus used these miracles as teaching tools in His ministry. Let’s look at His teaching on bread.

“They replied, ‘What miracle will you work, so that we can have faith in you? What will you do? ³¹ For example, when our ancestors were in the desert, they were given manna to eat. It happened just as the Scriptures say, ‘God gave them bread from heaven to eat.’”

³²Jesus then told them, ‘I tell you for certain that Moses wasn’t the one who gave you bread from heaven. My Father is the one who gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³And the bread that God gives is the one who came down from heaven to give life to the world.”

³⁴The people said, ‘Sir, give us this bread and don’t ever stop!’

³⁵Jesus replied: I am the bread that gives life! No one who comes to me will ever be hungry. No one who has faith in me will ever be thirsty. ³⁶I have told you already that you have seen me and still do not have faith in me. ³⁷Everything and everyone that the Father has given me will come to me, and I won’t turn any of them away…⁴⁸I am the bread that gives life! ⁴⁹Your ancestors ate manna in the desert, and later they died. ⁵⁰But the bread from heaven has come down, so that no one who eats it will ever die. ⁵¹I am that bread from heaven! Everyone who eats it will live forever. My flesh is the life-giving bread I give to the people of this world.” John 6:30-51 CEV

Jesus is our bread, the living bread who gives life.

Do you remember what Jesus did when He ate the Passover dinner with His disciples the night He was arrested?

“…And it came from the Lord himself. He took some bread in his hands. ²⁴Then after he had given thanks, he broke it and said, ‘This is my body, which is given for you. Eat this and remember me.'” I Corinthians 11:23-24 CEV

He broke the bread and distributed to it all who were sitting at the table. His sacrifice is for all of us!

We are able to be nourished by living bread when we read and study God’s word.

“Because of what Jesus said, many of his disciples turned their backs on him and stopped following him. ⁶⁷Jesus then asked his twelve disciples if they also were going to leave him. ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered, “Lord, there is no one else that we can go to! Your words give eternal life. ⁶⁹We have faith in you, and we are sure that you are God’s Holy One.” John 6:66-69 CEV

So, I will ask you again, are you hungry? Read the Word, it gives us life!

October 1, 2023October 1, 2023

Hungry & Thirsty?

We are still getting our sleeping and eating habits back on track after living on Greek time for the last month. This morning I woke up at 1:30 am, hungry and thirsty.

But instead of making something to eat, my mind went to the Scripture verses I read yesterday morning in my quiet time. I will tell you now that this will be a long read so, please be faithful to read it all.

Before you do, let me pray for you. “Father, your word is the bread of life. Just like you provided manna, meat and water for the Israelites in the desert I believe that You will provide nourishment from Your word for those of us with hungry souls. Holy Spirit, speak to our hearts through the Word of God this day. In Jesus name. Amen.”

“Is anyone thirsty? Come and drink— even if you have no money! Come, take your choice of wine or milk— it’s all free! ²Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength? Why pay for food that does you no good? Listen to me, and you will eat what is good. You will enjoy the finest food.

³“Come to me with your ears wide open. Listen, and you will find life. I will make an everlasting covenant with you. I will give you all the unfailing love I promised to David.
⁴See how I used him to display my power among the peoples. I made him a leader among the nations. ⁵You also will command nations you do not know, and peoples unknown to you will come running to obey, because I, the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, have made you glorious.”

⁶Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. ⁷Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.

⁸“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. ⁹For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

¹⁰“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. ¹¹It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit.
It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. ¹²You will live in joy and peace. The mountains and hills will burst into song, and the trees of the field will clap their hands! ¹³Where once there were thorns, cypress trees will grow. Where nettles grew, myrtles will sprout up. These events will bring great honor to the Lord’s name; they will be an everlasting sign of his power and love.” Isaiah 55 NLT

Did any of those verses speak to your heart? A number of them spoke to me.

When we arrived home from Greece there was a lot to unpack, four suitcases to be precise. Everything had to be taken out, looked at and put away. That’s how I feel about this chapter – there’s a lot to unpack.

The Lord has placed it on my heart to spend a few days on these verses, sharing other verses that go along with these. As we go through this short study re-read Isaiah 55, ask the Holy Spirit to show you, personally, what these verses mean for your life.

Come hungry and thirsty for God’s truth.

September 23, 2022September 23, 2022

Hungry?

The last few days photos of our youngest grandson have been showing up on my memory pages. He just celebrated his 7th birthday and it’s been fun to look back at his first few weeks of life.

I love babies!!

They are so pure and so hungry. They eat all the time and make no apology for it. They have a God-given instinct to know that they must eat, and they let the world know it. Their feedings take priority.

“Be like newborn babies who are thirsty for the pure spiritual milk that will help you grow and be saved. 3 You have already found out how good the Lord really is.” I Peter 2:2-3 CEV

Yes, we need to be like babies – sincere, innocent, with an overwhelming desire to grow – to drink spiritual milk (the Word) and learn of the Lord’s goodness.

As we feast on milk we grow and come to a point where we are mature enough to enjoy solid food, as the writer of Hebrews put it. Growing is natural, it’s good, it is proof that we are healthy and strong.

“People who live on milk are like babies who don’t really know what is right. ¹⁴Solid food is for mature people who have been trained to know right from wrong.” Hebrews 5:13-14 CEV

Sometimes babies, and adults, just need a drink of water and not milk. It keeps us hydrated and all our organs functioning well.

We also need to come for the living water that only Christ can give.

“Jesus answered, ‘You don’t know what God can give you. And you don’t know who I am, the one who asked you for a drink. If you knew, you would have asked me, and I would have given you living water.’

11 The woman said, ‘Sir, where will you get that living water?…

13 Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again. 14 But anyone who drinks the water I give will never be thirsty again. The water I give people will be like a spring flowing inside them. It will bring them eternal life.’

15 The woman said to Jesus, ‘Sir, give me this water. Then I will never be thirsty again and won’t have to come back here to get more water.’” John 4:10-15 ERV

Water and milk are both a necessity of life. When babies need to eat, they cry out. They really have no other way to signal that they are hungry.

When was the last time we cried because we were hungry for the sincere milk of God’s word or the living water that only He can give? Jesus made us all a promise.

“Jesus said to them, “I am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me will never be hungry. He who puts his trust in Me will never be thirsty. ³⁶I said to you that you have seen Me and yet you do not put your trust in Me. ³⁷All whom My Father has given to Me will come to Me. I will never turn away anyone who comes to Me.” John 6:35-37 NLV

When we come to Him, hungry and thirsty for the life He gives, He will never turn us away!

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022

Nap Time

As I was searching for an image to use on this morning’s blog, I came across a picture of a napping child and the caption read “When is a child too old for a nap?”. My answer, never!

Yesterday day was busy. Not the crazy, hectic, week-before-Christmas busy but busy. Getting everything ready to travel safely and then setting up again once we were back to our permanent site.

Dave does the hard work; my jobs are little and detailed. After we were settled, I made lunch and we sat down to relax. About an hour and a half later, I woke up. Dave smiled and asked, “did you have a good nap”? Oh yes, wonderful.

If we listen, our bodies will tell us what we need and when we need it. We get thirsty and so we get a drink. We get hungry and we eat. (The trick to weight loss is to eat only when we are hungry). We rest when we are tired.

“O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water.” Psalm 63:1 NLT

Our bodies have these internal signals that are God-given and we need to listen to them so we don’t damage our health. If we push past these warnings it can be detrimental. Oh yes, I know this project MUST get done – the kids NEED to be at this activity. Just a couple more hours and I can rest. But if we keep that pace harm ourselves with physical and mental burnout.

“Come to me all of you who are tired from the heavy burden you have been forced to carry. I will give you rest. ²⁹Accept my teaching. Learn from me. I am gentle and humble in spirit. And you will be able to get some rest.” Matthew 11:28-29 ERV

I was reminded of a time when Jesus took a nap. He was in a boat, in a storm, with his disciples and he laid down and went to sleep. He wasn’t up fretting or helping them row. He was resting. We need to learn from Jesus.

“Jesus was inside the boat, sleeping with his head on a pillow. The followers went and woke him. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care about us? We are going to drown!” ³⁹Jesus stood up and gave a command to the wind and the water. He said, “Quiet! Be still!” Mark 4:38-39 ERV

Sounds like good advice when we are in life’s storms. We can fret and worry and it will change nothing. But when we come to Jesus with those problems, He will speak to our storms and give us rest.

Trusting Him gives us a spiritual nap!